


Angel Baby

by bestelitecouple



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Dan Howell and Phil Lester Are Teenagers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Humor, Grinding, House Party, Light Angst, M/M, Making Out, Phanfiction, Pining, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-07 00:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11612031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestelitecouple/pseuds/bestelitecouple
Summary: Daniel Howell is tired of being seen as a Baby, especially because it’s been his given nickname ever since it became well-known that he skipped an entire year at university. He’s not someone who needs his hand held or a dummy in his mouth, and yet everyone who knows him seem to think so, if they even know him at all. He decides that if he wants to get rid of his child-like image, he’s going to have to change. But just how far is he willing to go to clear his name? And what does a certain boy who’s far too cool for him have to do with it?





	Angel Baby

**** Baby’s tired of everything.

 

Baby’s tired of being seen as nothing compared to his friends, as the baby within his friend group, hell,  he’s tired of the way he’s been acting for almost a year. It’s time for things to change, and he’s ready to begin as soon as possible. He should probably text Peej for advice, but he could easily make him regret the entire idea and he really wants to change himself up. He’s gone through an inner transformation that he really just can’t ignore anymore.

 

PJ and Baby had become fast friends, as they both had a similar interest in video games and comics. PJ had soon introduced Baby to his friends, a fair sized group of third-years that accepted Baby with open arms, despite all of them being far too cool for him to hang out with and him being known as ‘the guy that skipped second year’. However, about two minutes into their first conversation, before Baby was able to say his name and introduce himself further, the group decided to give him the nickname ‘Baby’, because of how much of a baby-face he had at the time. 

 

The entire school found out, and eventually, everyone was calling him ‘Baby’, from his fellow classmates, to all of his professors, he had even started using the nickname to order food. And at first, he was okay with it. But now that he was grown, he found it rather unfitting to his personality anymore. Of course at first it had fit, he was the baby of the group. But now that they were a little more mature, that he’d be able to use his real name. But they still saw him as the same kid he was when he arrived, despite having a  transformation he had begun at the beginning of the year. 

 

Even  _ Phil _ thinks so. He’s the one in the group that’s way too cool to actually be hanging out with anyone in his group, especially Baby, even though he’s been friends with them far longer than Baby. Phil just radiates cool, from the clothes he wears to the soft-spoken yet always perfect way he speaks. Everything about him just screams “too cool for you”. Not to mention Baby’s had a complete over-the-top crush on him for ages. Yet he still sees Baby as nothing but a little kid. 

 

PJ shoved him particularly hard the other day, though it hadn’t hurt, Phil had actually asked if he was seriously hurt. How humiliating! Here he was supposed to keep himself out of Phil’s radar, even though he had always secretly hoped someday he’d be able to capture Phil’s attention and affections, but he’d only managed to embarrass himself completely! That was, if Phil ever noticed him at all. So far, that’s really the only time he’s talked to Baby directly, and even then, he hadn’t used Baby’s real name, if he even knew it what it is.

 

But back on his discourse, he’s tired of being treated like a small child. Not to mention he’s also tired of being practically invisible when they all go out.  He’s not a little kid anymore. So, He’s about to do something that he hopes to change everything everyone thought they knew about him.

 

He’s going to give himself a makeover.

 

And sure, that may not seem exactly like the sort of thing that would completely turn his image around, but he has a plan that will. He’s going to change his entire demeanor.

 

And again, doesn’t sound like a good idea, and Baby isn’t really sure if it is to be honest, but he’s hoping if he shows enough confidence and wears a shirt low enough, it’ll change his entire uni life, maybe even his cursed nickname.

 

So he calls Louise and asks her about Phil.

 

“What do you mean by that?” She asks, sounding extremely confused at why he was calling  _ her,  _ yet also intrigued. He knows she knows what he’s talking about, but he says it again, simply for clarification purposes. 

 

“Tell me everything about him. What he likes, what he doesn’t, what he looks for in a boyfriend-” He knows the second he says that Louise will cut him off, and he’s right, because she does. 

 

“So basically you don’t want me to tell you everything, only thing that will benefit you, right?” He nervously chuckles over the line.

 

“Well, would it sound bad if I said yes?” 

 

“What are you up to Baby?” Louise asks, Baby rolled his eyes on the other side of the line before huffing.

 

“Are you gonna give me the info or not?” He asks impatiently, making up a list in his head of other people he can ask that aren’t Phil if Louise says no. He briefly thinks of calling PJ next, but rules it out after he realizes that if he did, PJ would instantly tell Phil and humiliate him further.

 

“He seems to like tight clothes, as every boyfriend or girlfriend he’s ever had has worn them before. He also likes ripped jeans, maybe a little bit of skin every now and then. Every person he’s also dated have all been very confident, he’s very quiet so they balance it out by being a never-stop-talking piece of shit. They all also have the tendency to leave relatively quickly, though none of us have been able to figure out why, but it’s said that Phil’s been the one to break up every relationship, so be careful. They all also tend to have a strange haircut, but please don’t cut your hair. And yeah, that’s all I got.” He takes notes, nodding as she talks. When he finishes, it sounds a lot easier than he thought it would be, but decides not to knock it, as it may be harder to do in practice.

 

“Tight clothes, skin, and confident, got it. Thanks!” He talks quickly, already planning on where to buy his new clothes.

 

“But don’t let it get to your head-” He hangs up before she can finish. 

 

He goes to the nearest shopping centre and tries on the tightest clothes he can get over his thighs, gets the sides of his hair shaved while keeping the curly length on the top, despite Louise’s wishes, and begins to test the personality he’s going for. 

 

He goes to bed in his dorm that night feeling more confident in himself than he ever has before.

.

His friends are surprised to see him to say the least.

 

His usual clean-cut look has disappeared, replaced with the tightest pair of ripped black jeans and a simple white tee that hangs low off his left shoulder. He’s puffing out his chest while he walks, and his normal, approachable baby-face has gone stone-cold. He seems strong, independent. 

 

He is a 6’2” tall, sexy fucking guy that can get anyone or anything he could ever want. He looks and feels confident, like he can accomplish anything simply with the waving of his hand and that has to be the biggest perk of this transformation thus far. 

 

‘That motherfucker’, Louise thinks. He had been using it to change himself, exactly what she tried to warn him against. That piece of shit, already fitting the mold of Phil’s multiple exes, and it seemed to be working like a charm on Phil. That fucker, he’ll regret it. 

 

“Baby, what the fuck are you wearing?” Chris, PJ’s boyfriend, asks, hanging onto PJ’s arm while the rest of them just look on in utter disbelief. 

 

“Like them? Bought them yesterday at the shop, figured I’d get a haircut as well.” He resists the urge to move on his toes, instead placing his hands on his hips while giving a smirk over at Phil, who’s face is unreadable to Baby.

 

“They look fucking great man, who dressed you?” Everyone remains silent after that, Baby’s confidence fading at the lack of words. He won’t let this get to him though, he’s worked far too hard in the last couple of hours to let something this stupid bring him down. This is the most confident he’s felt in ages, he wants to keep it that way. He looks directly at Phil, smirking before he replies to Chris with a casual;

 

“I dressed myself, however, I wouldn’t be so opposed to have someone else take them off.” 

 

For the first time ever, he sees Phil blush, red heat making it’s way up Phil’s cheeks when he realizes Baby’s talking about  _ him _ . Baby can keep his cool enough to not let the heat make it’s way up to his face, but when he sees his friends all genuinely happy and impressed with his newfound confidence, it’s worth repressing. 

 

“I’m sure no one would be opposed to it either.” Phil says quietly, color disappearing from his face before he walks away, shoulder brushing against Baby’s as he passes him, Baby no longer able to hide the sudden blood-flow to his cheeks. 

 

“Yo!” PJ shouts, shaking Baby’s shoulders as he watches Phil walk away, slightly puzzled and massively turned on.

.

Baby decides that his mission isn’t just to convince the others that he isn’t a baby, (though it is still the main priority to get rid of his horrid nickname), but to get Phil to fuck him. Not only is it a link back to his main point, but also a way to prove to himself that he isn’t just “cute” like his friends called him. If Phil’s going to express sudden interest, Baby’s going to make him go in completely, and he doesn’t just mean go fully into his ass. But fully into his “attraction”, (could you even call it that?),  for Baby. 

 

So he starts dressing in the clothes he bought at the shopping centre all the time, he makes his hair as curly as it can be so it shows off the shaved sides, he bites his lip and bends down in front of Phil as much as possible, while also managing to show the others that he is capable of having adult conversations and do adult things. 

 

Louise decides to throw a party during the beginning of the spring semester right before their big holiday break. She’s inviting practically everyone and anyone, which makes it the place for Baby to really prove himself. He’ll be making himself the centre of attention, the animal of the party. During Louise’s somewhat legendary parties he tends to keep to himself, staying in the corner nursing a non-alcoholic drink as he watches all of his friends let themselves go and have fun of epic proportions. Baby’s tired of being the one looking on. He wants to be just as legendary. 

 

His group is known to practically everyone because of these parties, where he’s seen as the “party pooper” of their bunch. That won’t be much longer, he thinks to himself as he slides on another pair of ripped jeans and a tight, cropped red top.

 

Normally he would never even think to wear something of the sort, but because of what’s at stake, because of what he’s trying to prove, he’s going to go as far as he needs to. No nervousness, no surprises, no backing out. He’s doing this, and he’ll look damn good while doing it.

 

It actually makes quite the scene when he walks in, people staring left and right as he heads straight for Louise. People are whispering, some already drunk party-goers even catcalling him as he walks past. 

 

“Woah Baby! When did you get so fabulous?” She asks as Zoe joins her side, eyes widening at the sight of Baby’s torso. She fucking knows exactly how it happens. He’s even adjusted his walk to match Phil’s exes. Oh, he’s good, too good. It’ll bite him right in the ass. 

 

“Oh Lou, how cute that you think this is a new development.” He scuffs, earning a stifle of laughter from Zoe.

 

“It is though! Weeks ago you probably wouldn’t have even showed up, nevertheless in that! What’s been with you lately? You’ve done a complete one eighty.” His eyebrows furrow at the statement, he feels somewhat offended even though he knows it’s true.

 

“Is that a bad thing?” He asks, and Louise instantly shakes her head with big eyes.

 

“No! Not at all! Well, it’s just, not something I’d expect from you!” She replies, which only makes Baby angrier.

 

“Of course it’s not something you’d expect from me, Lil Old Baby, always keeping to himself-” He goes on, until she cuts him off.

 

“Baby, what’re you on about?” She asks, sounding somewhat frustrated with the situation, but Baby simply feels he doesn’t want to be part of the conversation anymore and waves.

 

“I’ve got something I need to do Louise, I don’t have time for this right now.” He dismisses, before walking off, leaving Louise shouting over the music to ask what she’s done as Zoe shrugs in confusion at the situation. 

 

They watch as Baby walks with confidence, practically strutting with every step, wondering where he’s going before being pulled aside to change the song coming from the large bass speakers in the front.

 

Baby meanwhile, is looking around to the find the face attached to the body he’d love to grind on right about now. He spots him in the kitchen, coolly sipping on a beer while leaning up against the counter, listening to PJ talk about some bullshit he has with one of his professors. He grabs his wrist, biting his lip and licking the bottom one before he tells, not asks;

 

“Phil, come dance with me!” He drags Phil behind him, leaving PJ and Bertie to look on in confusion. Louise joins them rather quickly along with Zoe, who’s now joined by Alfie.

 

“Have you seen Baby?” She asks rather frantically, but both look on in the direction he went to. He’s gone too far. After explaining what happened to Zoe, she brought up the excellent point that if they were to start dating after Baby’s transformation, it was extremely likely that Phil would dump him to the side just like the rest of his exes. They needed to prevent the situation before it was too late. 

 

“He just left dragging Phil along, why, do you have any idea what that’s about?” PJ asks, huffing when Louise shakes her head.

 

“What is with him, he’s been acting so strange the last couple of days.” Bertie says, Louise pointing at him in agreement.

 

“That’s what I said!” She exclaims, but that’s as much as the group gets out before cheering sounds from the living room, the five of them making eye contact before rushing into the next room to see what the commotion is about.

 

And there, directly in the center of the room stands  _ Baby _ , dancing by himself in the most sexual way they’ve ever seen with  _ Phil behind him _ . Phil looks slightly uncomfortable, but Baby is practically eating it up. He’s shaking his hips, he’s moving his arms up and down his body, and  _ ohmygodheismostdefinitelygrindingupagainstPhil _ . 

 

“Is he drunk?” PJ asks, because wow there’s no way he thinks that Baby’s doing this sober.

 

“I haven’t seen him with a glass of anything since he got here, so I don’t think so.” Zoe says, despite all of them wanting to believe otherwise. Something very wrong has happened to their friend, yet they can’t help but watch it all unfold. 

 

“This is insane.” Alfie says, the entire room’s mouths practically dropping when Baby drops down to his feet and then pops back up as if it’s nothing, his ass practically wiggling against Phil’s crotch the entire time. Cheers break throughout the room and it only serves Baby as fuel to continue. Where did this come from? When has Baby ever done anything like this before?

 

“He’s trying to act like Phil’s exes, to get Phil to like him, and apparently prove something about not being a baby, I didn’t really hear! But we have to stop him before it’s too late, all of Phil’s exes have been completely devastated after they break up!”

  
“But his name is Baby!” Chris exclaims stupidly, the group ignoring him because they know he’s drunk off his ass.

 

“Shouldn’t we be stopping Phil then?” Everyone turns to look at Bertie, who has somewhat of a good point. 

 

“We should be stopping Baby because he shouldn’t feel the need to change for some guy!”   
  
“But it’s Phil! He isn’t just some guy, he’s our friend!” PJ shouts, Louise stopping herself because yes, PJ does have a good point, but none of them really know Phil enough to really defend him much. Sure, he’s their friend, but he’s so soft-spoken. It’s almost impossible to really find out much. 

 

“But Baby is our friend too! Just think about how hurt he’d be if Phil broke his heart! He’s liked Phil for ages, you know that! He isn’t able to take heartbreak like that!” She yells at PJ, who at this point is kind of glaring at Louise, because he’s known Phil for a long time and knows him the best.

 

“But I know Phil would never do that!” He shouts at her, and she’s wondering why PJ would say that because how could he know?

 

Baby looks behind him at Phil, practically eye-fucking him with a half-lidded bedroom gaze as he bring himself close to the black-haired boy, licking his lips as he wraps his arms around Phil’s neck. No one’s ever seen Phil so at a loss before, so frozen in place. His face down to his neck are flushed pink, lips parted as his eyes widen at how close Baby is. 

 

Baby’s confident he has Phil right where he wants him now, everything has gone exactly how he’s wanted it to. Now, it’s time for him to pounce, because he knows if he doesn’t now he never will. He fears Confident Baby will fade away too soon, so he takes it upon himself to do something extra bold before it goes.

 

“So, about not being opposed to undressing me…..” He trails off, smiling slightly as he lets his thumb trace across Phil’s bottom lip, soft and wet as it moves back into place. Phil hasn’t spoken since Baby dragged him to the dance floor, so he can’t help but feel he’s about to be greatly rejected. Phil’s unpredictable after all, so he could easily end up acting completely normal in a matter of seconds and walk out the door before he can even finish what he’s trying to say.

 

“How do you know that!?” Louise shouts, over the loud music and commotion coming from the middle of the dancefloor. 

 

“Because Phil likes him, he really really likes him!” PJ exclaims over Louise.

 

“How do you know that?” She asks, before PJ starts turning her back towards the direction of Baby and Phil. 

 

Phil stays where he is, eyes dark and wanting as he trails over Baby’s body, swallowing thickly before meeting Baby’s eyes again. Baby has him like putty stretched in his hands, able to mold him however he’d like. It’s a new feeling, being in power of someone else’s emotions, especially since Phil’s been able to have control of Baby the same way for the longest time before he even changed. He’s sure if Phil asked him anything like he was about to he’d comply in an instant, but he still isn’t sure what Phil will say. 

 

He stops hesitating, and continues on with the same husky tone;

 

“Still want to take up the offer?” 

 

He’s aware everyone's still watching them, looking on in a mix of confusion and wonder of what’s happening between the two, but it’s almost egging him on, almost making him want it even more, because then he can prove himself in front of everyone in a way that will make them not even doubt for a second that he’s not a kid. Not to mention that having Phil all to himself is making him more flustered than he’d like to admit, and slightly more nervous because he isn’t sure of Phil feels the same way.

 

“Why don’t we take this to my room?” Is all it takes in Phil’s sultry bedroom voice to make Baby get so excited that he grabs Phil’s arm and drags him in direction of his bedroom, stopping quickly about three seconds down the hallway to push Phil up against the wall and smash their lips together, forcefully pushing his tongue into Phil’s mouth and Phil’s hands pinching sharply at his ass cheeks. 

 

“Believe me now!?” PJ screeches at Louise, Louise rolling her eyes before they peer down the hallway, wanting to see the last of their friends before something possibly changes everything. They need to try and stop this now, before they’re too late. Louise is desperately thinking, trying to come up with a plan that doesn’t directly pin the blame onto them.  

 

“Not just yet Old Yeller, hold your balls.” Louise says, before focusing attention on the scene unfolding in the center of the hallway to try and figure out what she can do.

 

They’re making out intensely, something Baby would have only dreamed of doing just a few days ago. He just can’t believe the position he’s in right now. He hasn’t even done this with anyone since he got into university, and he can’t believe how much he’s been missing. Phil’s practically swallowing his mouth whole and he doesn’t even mind it one bit. Kissing Phil is very nice, something that’s turning him on far more than it should be. But Phil’s lips are hot to the touch, spreading his heat onto Baby as he trails his lips down his cheek and neck. He can’t help but make these sounds, little ‘ah’ noises as Phil travels further down his neck, one of his more sensitive spots.

 

“S-sorry...” He stammers out, before another moan leaves his lips as Phil attaches his mouth to Baby’s shoulder. 

 

“Nah, it's good, totally good…...” He murmurs, before resuming his sucking onto Baby’s collarbone. And god, he sounds so attractive, voice deep and raspy. Phil can do wonders with his mouth, he doesn’t know why he hadn’t come up with this plan sooner. It feels so fucking good, Phil’s body pressed against his, both of them sweaty to the touch. It almost makes him wonder if they’ll ever actually make it to Phil’s room, as every few seconds Baby finds himself pushed up to the wall again before he can even take a step.

 

“Hurry, wanna fuck…..” Baby whines as Phil grabs his ass again, Baby pushing Phil off just enough for them to get to the door, Baby working on unbuckling Phil’s belt as he uses one hand to open the door and the other to work off Baby’s top. 

 

By the time Phil gets the door open, Baby’s already halfway undressed, Phil grabbing onto Baby’s hips to pull him in for another heated kiss before slamming the door behind them, pushing Baby onto his bed and reaching to kick off his skinny jeans, Baby peeling off his own jeans as quickly as he can.

 

The group watches the door slam behind the two, all staring on at the now empty hallway in a state of pure shock. 

 

“Wow, Baby-boy’s finally getting laid! It’s about time!” Chris shouts, as Louise and PJ take turns glaring at each other. It seems the two have started a feud of their own because of their differing opinions, however, Louise isn’t ready to give up on stopping the fun just yet.

 

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Louise exclaims, before beginning to make her way speedily down the hallway. PJ thinks quick, and ends up jumping onto her back, causing her to tumble onto the floor right before she can reach the door handle.

 

Phil’s straddling him, while he’s kissing Phil with everything he’s got. Phil’s hands are gripped tight at Baby’s hips, where there will mostly be marks after they finish. They’re constantly wrestling for dominance, and Baby tries to keep his confident persona and show it through their steamy makeout session, but every time Phil’s tongue pokes a bit deeper into his own mouth or his hands grip a little tighter to his hips, he can’t help but give up his control _._ There’s just something about Phil that makes him _want_ , makes him want way more than he ever thought he could. There’s just something about Phil that makes him want to not be ‘Baby’ anymore. He wants to be all grown-up, just for Phil. Because a baby would never do what he’s doing with Phil.

 

“Phil, Phil Phil Phil Phil……” He breathes, as Phil starts kissing each part of his stomach, tongue trailing down to his v-line and licking up to his collarbones. Baby’s in ecstasy, with Phil’s tongue lapping his body like some sort of worship, it’s probably the hottest thing that he’s ever felt. 

 

“Grind on me……” Baby begs, as he grabs the ends of Phil’s shirt and throws it off his shoulders across the room, hooking it around one of the bedposts. Phil starts grinding against Baby’s thigh, moving his hips in slow circles to maximize the friction between them. Everytime he feels Phil’s dick against his thigh, he can’t help his stomach from lurching in pleasure, almost like moving fast down the highest point of a roller-coaster.    
  
But then Baby starts grinding back, and god, Baby doesn’t think he’s ever felt anything more enjoyable than this. Even Phil’s started his own lowly pants every time he ruts against Baby, leaning over Baby and letting his sweaty body stick to Baby’s. It’s  _ so hot _ , everything about Phil makes him  _ so hot _ , it’s almost too much for him. 

 

“Let me go you piece of shit!” Louise yells at PJ, scratching at his arms trying to get him off of her, but he won’t budge. He’s going to stay there until one of them walks out that door, because Baby’s been waiting for this for ages and he deserves it. He’s the wingman, or Babyman, he promised Baby a long time ago that he would do anything for him to be with Phil. And if that means earning a few marks so Baby can get some. So be it.

 

“Ugh!” Louise groans, biting PJ’s arm when he tries to hold her down, PJ screeching out an “Ouch!”, as she untangles from his grip and reaches straight for the door handle, which won’t turn all the way because it’s locked.

 

“For fucks sake….” She sighs, trying to pick at the lock with her fingernail before PJ drags her down again, her motioning at Zoe to pick at the lock where she left off. Zoe tries to go for it, only to be picked up and carried away by Alfie.  

 

“You good Baby, can we go further?” Phil asks him, more or less pants to him while leaving sloppy wet kisses across Baby’s heated cheeks, Baby panting almost as much as Phil.

 

“Please……” He practically pleads, leaving Phil to chuckle breathlessly before getting up off of Baby to reach into his bedside drawer. Phil’s laugh alone left him feeling so aroused that he can hardly breathe. He missed Phil’s body on top of his, but soon reminded himself that he was about to get a lot more than Phil’s body on top of him, only making him more eager to continue. 

 

Phil returns back on top of him with lube that he throws to the side, reconnecting their lips into a surprisingly soft, heatless kiss. It’s nice, it’s gentle, something he wouldn’t exactly expect from Phil, but he goes along with it. It makes him feel loved, taken care of. 

 

But then he realizes it may be because of his nickname that he thinks Baby is weak, which he certainly isn’t. It offends him for a second, before he realizes that he knows Phil probably only wants a quick fuck anyways, and that maybe he does this with everyone he hooks up with.

 

But he wants to turn up the heat, so he sits Phil down on the bed and drops to his knees, looking at the outline of Phil’s cock through the fabric of his pants. It almost has Baby drooling from how big it is, has Baby about ten times more excited to put it in his mouth. He decides to build up to it however, instead beginning to leave wet kisses up his legs towards his thighs, a move that has Phil moaning his name out loud.

 

“Baby...” They all hear from outside, stopping whatever chaos of whether or not to open the door as they all stare at it curiously, stopping and awaiting the sound of another noise. 

 

“Fuck Baby….” Phil moans again from the other side of the door, Louise taking the moment to push PJ off and unlock the door quick, turning the handle and opening it quickly, PJ tackling her just as the door opens wide.

 

There sits Phil, still in his pants with Baby sitting inbetween his legs, obviously fully nude, sharing a steamy kiss as Phil reaches for Baby’s hips to pull him close They stop as soon as the door opens, Baby covering his modesty as Phil bends down to reach for a sweatshirt to cover Baby fully. Baby doesn’t look happy as the group nervously smiles, each taking a turn to chuckle awkwardly as Phil throws back on his shirt and takes a few deep breaths as he reaches for Baby’s discarded pants. Baby finally makes a sound as Phil starts putting his jeans back on, while he reaches for his belt.

 

“UGH! Why do you guys have to ruin everything!” He shouts, stomping his foot onto the hardwood floor as he crosses his arms. Louise steps forward without fear, going straight up to Baby’s face and glaring at him.

 

“I think the real question that needs to be asked is why are you acting this way? The Baby we know would’ve never even done this in the first place!” She shouts back, glaring as Baby’s face turns red in anger.

 

“The Baby you know doesn’t exist anymore! I’m someone else! Can’t you see that’s what I’ve been trying to do this whole time?” The entire group is surprised for the second time that week, from the same topic of Baby going through a transformation. 

 

“Whaddya mean by that Baby?” PJ asks, Baby groaning the second after PJ finishes asking.

 

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about! I’m not Baby anymore! I never wanted to be Baby and I never wanna be Baby ever again! I hate being Baby! It isn’t me!” He shouts, Chris giggling as he wraps an arm around Baby’s shoulder.

 

“You didn’t seem to mind being Baby just a second ago, you’ve been wanting Phil f-for ages….” He slurs, Baby pushing Chris off back to PJ, so frustrated that they aren’t seeing what he means that he has to actually leave the room. Phil can’t see him like this, they can't see him like this. It may be a baby thing to do, but he just cannot deal with everything that’s going on right then. It’s almost more of a baby thing to do then, because he doesn’t feel like crying into shoulders and having them comfort him like a child having a nightmare. 

 

So he goes, he doesn’t even bother to put on his pants. He just leaves. Thankfully, no one notices him slip out, as the party's still going on and no one is paying enough attention to anything but drinking and dancing. Baby runs home, which thankfully is on campus about ten minutes away, and locks the door before proceeding to bawl his eyes out. 

 

Phil had seem him like that, his friends that he thought would support him just bursted in on Phil and him almost having sex, something that a kid with parents would be caught in the act with, not a third-year college student with his friends. Thinking about the entire situation was more humiliating than anything he’d ever experienced, especially since Phil was there to witness the entire thing. Phil probably never wants to see him ever again. His friends were such pains sometimes, he didn’t really understand why he was even friends with them in the first place.

 

PJ wanted to go back to their dorm, but Baby had locked the door, refusing to let anyone in to grab anything, much less stay there for the night. So PJ and the rest of the gang crashes at Chris’, and they all try to sleep through the night. None of them succeed. The five of them feel guilty after what they had done with Baby and Phil, deciding that they’d each took turns during the night to offer Baby things in order to get him to open the door, none of them having any luck. Baby even said no to Louise making his favorite cake, which really said something because Baby always loved to eat Louise’s cake. 

 

At about four in the morning, they had all given in, instead taking refuge outside of Baby’s door to wait for him in the dark hallway to eventually leave the room. Even Phil had joined at that point. They could hear Baby crying, soft whimpers escaping from his mouth as he sniffled before then blowing his nose loudly. It left them all heartbroken, hearing Baby so upset. They had never meant to hurt their friend like that. They just wanted to look out for him, he was the baby of the group after all. It was their job. 

 

Louise was so angry however, because none of this would have even happened if it wasn’t for  _ Phil _ . It was because of Phil that Baby changed, because of Phil that Baby tried to be something he wasn’t. It was because of Phil that Baby was crying in his room by himself, too embarrassed to walk out the door. Sure, she felt bad because it was also partially her fault, but again, none of them would even be there if it wasn’t for Phil.

 

“Lou, what’re you looking at me like that for?” Phil says, voice tired and somewhat defensive. She didn’t realize she had been glaring at him until he says this, but now that he has it almost makes her angrier. Because  _ he doesn’t even know what he’s caused _ .

 

“Because you’re a piece of shit!” She shouts, temper no longer under control as she feels the fire burning in her to defend one of her closest friends. He caused Baby to feel insecure in who he was, he caused Baby to change into a slutty mess!

 

“Louise, where is this coming from?” PJ asks, sounding dull, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sits up slightly against the wall. Louise crosses her arms, of course PJ’s defending Phil, he doesn’t know what Phil’s done.

 

“It’s coming from the fact that the only reason we’re even here right now is because of Phil!” She huffs, Phil’s face twisting in a mix of confusion and offense. Apparently, Phil doesn’t know what he’s done either. 

 

“Louise what are you talking about? I haven’t done anything!” Phil shouts, for the first time in quite a while, and it catches everyone off guard. Louise isn’t done fighting, Baby deserves justice, so she puts on a poker face before continuing to defend her friend’s honor.

 

“Oh yes you have. You’ve done quite a lot.” Phil looks as if he’s at a loss for words, as if he has no idea what’s going on.

 

“Like what?” He looks desperate for answers, desperate to know what he’s done. So Louise tells him.

 

“Well, for starters, you’re too oblivious to realize you even did anything.” PJ realizes about half-way through her sentence where Louise is going, and that Baby would never let them in if Louise tells Phil what’s going on. They’d already embarrassed him in front of Phil enough, there was no need to tell Phil what wasn’t theirs to tell.

 

“Louise don’t-” PJ starts, but Louise doesn’t care to listen and continues speaking anyways.

 

“Not to mention that Baby’s had the biggest crush on you for ages, and you haven’t even bothered to give him the light of day! You’ve never even had a one on one conversation with him before tonight, have you?” Phil’s face grows pale, paler than usual, as if he’s racking his brain for previous signs of a crush from Baby and finding things he never considered. It makes PJ feel almost sorry for Phil, he carries guilt easily and hearing such a big confession from Louise must make Phil feel awful. It makes PJ feel even worse for Phil because he knows it’s true.

 

“He changed everything about himself. His hair, his clothes, his attitude, even his freaking thought process! And you know why he did it? He did it because he wanted to be with you! He wanted to be with you so fucking badly that he was willing to change everything about himself for you to even notice him!” Phil was looking quite weak, like if he were to stand his knees would shake and he would barely be able to stand.

 

“How do you know that’s even true?” Phil asks, voice sounding small and guilty.

 

“Because  _ he called me to ask me what you liked in a partner _ .” Phil suddenly realized what this meant.

 

“And you gave him answers.” 

 

“I know what I did, I feel bad for it, but this isn’t about me. It isn’t about me because he did it all for you..” She says, choking up slightly, causing PJ to roll his eyes in distaste. But Phil just feels awful. 

 

“He did it all for you.” She repeats, before getting up to go use the bathroom. 

 

After that, they all decide to give Baby time, lined up outside Baby’s door silently, each doing their own activity to keep them busy until Baby was ready. Louise is knitting Baby a scarf, because he’s always far too cold and never has anything to cover himself because he’s too stubborn. PJ is drawing in his sketchbook, because during his non-existent sleep he came up with the idea of a character called the Night Flock. Zoe and Alfie are cuddling, trying to fall asleep, and Chris is asleep in PJ’s lap. 

 

Phil is fidgeting, listening to something on his phone, headphones plugged in and head bobbing to the beat. He’s not made any effort to try and talk to Baby, as he imagines he’d be the last person Baby would want to see. He feels guilty that he caused this, making Baby feel this way. He should’ve realized what was going on, or at least make the effort to communicate. 

 

Phil’s leaning directly against Baby’s door, arms wrapped around his legs to keep him compact and close to Baby. Baby may not want to see him, but he sure wishes he could see Baby. 

 

His phone shuffles the music to Angel Baby, a 1960’s love song by Rosie & The Originals. Phil likes a lot of old music, it makes him feel calm and relaxed. Everyone sounds so nice from the older times, everything sounds so much easier than things are now. The song itself is soft and mellow, just like Baby. It makes him miss Baby even more. Maybe he can show Baby that.

 

It’s around six am when he unplugs his headphone and turns the volume to full blast, making Louise and Pj look at him from their activities and the ones sleeping to stir, though it doesn’t wake anyone up. Phil hopes Baby is still awake to hear it, because it’s a song he wants Baby to hear. 

 

“It's just like heaven

Being here with you,

You're like an Angel

Too good to be true…..”

 

Louise looks at him kind of funny, mouthing, “What are you doing?”, at him as the song continues to play. PJ however, knows Phil well enough to know exactly what the song is, and gives Phil a thumbs up as he leans further into the door. 

 

“When you are near me

My heart skips a beat,

I can hardly stand on

My own two feet…..”

 

Phil can only hope that Baby’s hearing this, that he’s hearing the lyrics and what they mean and that’s enough to let Phil in. The more time that goes past, the more Phil misses him. Baby’s sweet, someone Phil could never think of having like him of all people. Phil hasn’t really thought about it, but now that he has, he isn’t exactly opposed to it.

 

“Because I love you

I love you, I do,

Angel Baby

My Angel baby…..”

 

Baby hears the music and instantly knows that Phil’s the one playing it. The only time he has heard Phil speak more than a few words was to talk about music, specifically records that he loved to listen to, despite everyone teasing him for liking things so old, though it never seemed to bother him. The song was almost an apology, a way to get a look into Phil’s feelings for him while also trying to ease Baby out.

 

It’s definitely worked, Baby sitting on his stomach, listening to the track with his ear against the door, trying to see if he could hear Phil’s breathing on the other side, as there was another figure pressed up against the other side of the door. When he heard a deep exhale, he couldn’t help but smile, closing his eyes and listening to the sweet melody.

 

“No one could love you,

Like I do……”

 

He decides to play the song again after that and wait outside Baby’s door, because if this song won’t get him out then no other songs will. It’s really a last resort on getting in, if this doesn’t get Phil in then nothing will. 

 

It’s around the fourth time the song comes on that Phil stands, beginning to pace in front of Baby’s door, wishing that Baby would open the door and let him in. He doesn’t even want to talk to Baby, or ask Baby questions. He just wants to see Baby, he wants to make Baby feel better. All of this really is his fault anyways

 

But then the door opens, a puffy-eyed Baby standing in the doorframe, shyly looking at the ground while still dressed in Phil’s hoodie. Phil slowly steps into the room, phone in his back pocket still playing the song, before the door is shut behind him, leaving PJ and Louise to press their ears against the door.

  
Phil takes a look around, soft fairy lights lit around the top of the walls, curtains closed to avoid leaking in the rising sunlight, a bed on the right side of the room covered in tissues and chocolate wrappers. Phil chuckles quietly, staring happily at the mess.

 

Baby stands in the middle of the room, still looking down at his feet to avoid eye contact with Phil. He’s unsure of where to start, what to bring up, where they stand, or how to even go about the entire situation. But it’s as if he doesn’t have to, because in that exact moment Phil walks straight over to him, hands ghosting over Baby’s hips as he presses a slow kiss to Baby’s cheek. Baby’s eyes flutter closed, enjoying the feeling of Phil’s lips on his skin. 

 

“I never wanted to hurt you Baby.” He says softly,  fingers reaching under Baby’s chin to carefully lift up his face, their eyes locking as soon as he looks up. Their gazes is almost magnetic, both unable to look away as Phil moves Baby close to him. Phil connects their lips together in almost a feather light touch, lips locking for a few seconds before Baby slowly moves his face to the side. 

 

“What’sa matter Baby?” Phil asks, Baby biting his lip.

 

“ _ I want sleep Phil _ .” He whispers, voice hoarse and tired from the lateness of the hour. Phil nods, turning back towards the door to leave. He feels something grab his wrist, Baby’s almost distressed expression telling Phil that wasn’t what he meant.

 

“ _ Stay _ .” So they clear off the crap on Baby’s bed and fall asleep rather quickly, Baby’s head tucked under Phil’s arm. 

 

“G’night Baby.” Phil murmurs, Baby already snoring softly and soundly, asleep within seconds. Phil smiles, and pulls him a bit closer before falling asleep himself.

 

Whatever problems that needed to be solved could wait.

 

Right now, all Phil wants is his Baby.  

.

The next morning, Baby wakes up around noon, sitting up to rub his eyes and stretch. Phil seems to be missing from his side, the bed cold where he used to be. He wonders if it was just a weird dream, something that he hallucinated in the early hours of the morning, or if Phil had left after he had fallen asleep. But then he hears the sink from the bathroom running, which makes him smile to himself. ‘So it wasn’t a dream’, he thinks.

 

He gets up from his spot in his bed, yawning as he makes his way over to his drawer, looking for a good outfit to start the day in. However, he only gets to picking out his shirt, because a pair of arms wraps around him and he forgets what he’s doing.

 

“G’morning Baby.” Phil says, voice still scratchy from sleep. It’s honestly really attractive, but it’s even more attractive when Phil presses a kiss to his hair. He sinks into Phil’s touch, looking at the shirt he’s holding blanky.

“Whatcha up to?” He asks, taking the shirt from Baby’s hands and holding it up to get a good look at it. He folds the shirt again and places it back into the drawer, shutting the drawer before holding Baby tight again.

 

“Stay here with me a little longer.” Phil says tenderly, so tenderly that Baby can’t help but wonder why he was even thinking of leaving the room in the first place. Baby nods, turning back around so Phil can grab his hand and lead him back to bed, letting him lay down first before Phil climbs in and holds him flush against his chest.

 

He can hear Phil’s heart beat, fast and thumping in his chest, almost as if he was  _ nervous _ . Baby smiles, laying his head back down, closing his eyes as Phil cards through his hair, before tickling down his back and up his arm. 

 

“Baby?” He asks, Baby opening his eyes and leaning up towards Phil.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You know, how I’m kind of cold?” He says, causing Baby’s eyebrows to furrow up in confusion at the statement. Did he mean how quiet he was? How out of the group he was? 

 

“What, with the group?” Phil hums, Baby nodding directly afterwards. He grabs Baby’s hand, holding it loosely in his own. Baby looks curiously at their hands and then back at Phil, waiting patiently for him to continue.

 

“I...I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about you when I’m with you….. That makes me want to, well, not be that way.” He says, Baby even more confused. What could he possibly mean by that?

 

“Well, how do you want to be with me?” Baby asks, just as Phil’s hand cups Baby’s cheek, a thumb running over his cheekbone. He thinks for a minute, silence overcoming the room. Then, Phil’s mouth goes up into a smile.

 

“You make me want to be warm.” Phil says, the sentiment making Baby’s heart fill with fondness. Baby did that to Phil? It’s amazing how many things you find out after a horrible situation. 

 

“You make me want to be like you.” Baby’s eyes widen, because why on earth would Phil want to be like him?

 

“I’ve always wanted to be like you!” He exclaims, Phil chuckling as their foreheads touch, noses about to brush together from how close they are. Baby could stay like this forever, he never wants to move. 

 

“ _ Baby, please never change _ .” Phil whispers, rubbing their noses together slowly. Before Baby gets a chance to answer, Phil kisses him. It’s got the most passion he’s ever been kissed with, and it feels like the greatest thing in the world. He wants to kiss Phil until his lips are purple, and with the way Phil is acting towards him, he has a sneaking suspicion he feels the same way. He knows now he can talk to the others about what’s wrong, but he wants to be with Phil just a bit longer.

.

 

They finally go out after making out a bit, Baby feeling confident as he throws on a pair of jeans. He's going to tell the others how he feels like a big boy. If he wants to be taken seriously, he's got to use his words.

 

He steps out and Louise is the first one to give him a hug, though it's soft because she's tired and can barely grip onto reality.The fact that his friends even waited that long for him to be ready makes him feel appreciative towards them, as he doesn't know many people who would do that. 

 

However, his confidence goes back into hiding the second they all stand before him, together in their matching expecting looks, as if they’re waiting to hear what excuse he has. But he has something to say, something important, though with the way they’re all looking at him, it almost makes him want to go run and hide again. 

 

Until Phil’s grabs his hand. It’s gentle, they’re hands are barely touching, but the action makes Dan feel better, feel more confident in his decisions and the importance of his words. If he’s got Phil supporting him, Phil by his side, without even hearing the complete story, he’s sure once he tells the others, they will be too. 

 

“It bothers me that everyone just sees me as one giant baby, someone that needs to be constantly watched and taken care of. I’m grown, I don’t need any of that. When we all met, sure, I needed a little bit of taking care of because I didn’t know what I was doing, but I’ve learned now. I’m an adult now.” He admits, looking down at the wooden floor,  trying to blink away the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. As much as he hates to say, it really bothers him, more than he ever wanted to say, but he can’t help it. 

 

“Baby...” Zoe sighs, Baby looking back up to show how angry he was by the nickname, though with the tears in his eyes, it wasn’t very convincing. If anything, it just made the group feel guilty that they made Baby teary-eyed.

  
“I’m not Baby anymore. That’s what I’ve been trying to prove the entire time. The clothes, the hair, the act...” He trails off, hoping that at least one of them had enough information to infer what he was saying. Luckily, Alfie catches on and speaks for the group.

 

“Are all just to prove that you aren’t a baby.” And so Baby nods, because Alfie understood, and soon the others do too, each of their faces changing in realization of what was going on. 

 

“So, it wasn’t just to impress Phil?” Louise asks, Phil’s body straightening slightly at the mention of his name.

 

“No, it wasn’t just that. It isn’t even really the nickname that bothers me. It’s just frustrating that I feel like you guys see me that way, regardless of what you call me. I mean, I know I still have a lot of changing and growing to do, but I feel like I’ve matured into a much different person than I was when I first met you guys.” He explains, earning nods from each person in the group.

 

“I get that. But why didn’t you tell us sooner?” PJ asks, playing with his hands. It’s a nervous tick of PJ’s to play with whatever's closest to him when he feels guilty. Hell, Baby feels slightly bad because he didn’t tell them sooner, but really it isn’t his fault.

 

“I felt like I couldn’t.” He replies simply, earning sympathetic looks from his friends. Louise is the first to hug him again, tightly and lovingly as she grips to him. He’s happy his friends aren’t angry with him, he’s happy they're still his friends even after all the trouble he’s caused over something that’s actually quite stupid, now that he thinks about it. 

 

“We’re sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell us. We’re supposed to be your friends, you can tell us anything anytime.” Louise says, squeezing him a little harder before she pulls away. He smiles at his friends, happy that everything has worked out in the end. At the end of the day, he’s glad they’re his friends, he couldn’t have gotten better. They’re all supportive and understanding of everything he does, and there’s no doubt in his mind that they’ll all continue to be that way for a long time. 

 

“There’s just one thing I have to ask; now that you don’t want us to call you ‘Baby’ anymore, what can we call you?” Chris makes an excellent point, everyone looking at Baby expectantly for a new name to call him. 

 

“You guys don’t remember my real name?” They all look away, slightly ashamed that they don’t actually know their friend’s real name. Sure, he had used to it to introduce himself, but that was about where calling him by his actual name had ended. Chris, in order to try and seem like the superior friend, came up with a name at the top of his head and pretended to have a revelation.

 

“Oh! Duh! I can’t believe I didn’t remember! It’s Georgie!” He says, but the others stifle their laughter as Baby shakes his head disapprovingly. Chris’ plan didn’t work.

 

“Okay, no, that’s literally not even close.” Baby says as Phil cracks up beside him, PJ with tears running down his cheeks as he and Phil bark out variations of “Georgie” between gasps and laughter.

 

“It’s……. Daniel, right?” Louise asks, somewhat confident in her answer yet still afraid to get it wrong. But when his cheeks start flushing red, Louise’s face brightens up at her correct answer.   
  


“I was right! It is Daniel! Dan for short, I knew I remembered! Ugh, such a perfect fit!” She says as she reaches to pinch one of Dan’s tinted cheeks, Zoe going for his other cheek as Alfie, PJ, and Chris all try to remember how they hadn’t thought of that. Phil’s silent beside him, the only one yet to react, and it has him more nervous than he should be. Phil met him after he gained his nickname, so he’s never heard that Dan’s his real name.

 

“So, that’s your real name?” Phil asks from his side, Dan nodding after he pushes Louise and Zoe from prodding his cheeks. They apologize silently as Phil snakes an arm around Dan’s torso.

 

“Yes.” Dan says nervously, another embarrassed flush spreading across his cheeks. Phil smiles, bringing a finger up to Dan’s cheek to feel the warmth, a chuckle bubbling up from his lips as Dan feels himself becoming more comfortable.

 

“Well, Daniel….” His name on Phil’s lips is more butterfly-inducing than it should be, but it just sounds so good coming from him. Phil saying real name almost makes him sigh in fondness, because the way that he says it just sounds so  _ perfect _ .

 

“As much as I love the sound of it, I think I’d like to keep calling you Baby.” He frowns slightly, Phil catching his pout and laughing, kissing the corners of his mouth before continuing with;

 

“Because you're my Baby.” The whole sentiment has Dan pretty fucking shook, but he can’t bring himself to do anything but lunge towards Phil to kiss him, as fast and as long as he possibly can.

  
He may go by Dan now, but he’ll always go by Baby for as long as Phil’s willing to say it.

 

He’s changed, he’s matured. He’s learned a lot and he’s been able to communicate with his friends a lot better than before. He’s closer to them too. But sometimes, he still has bad days. He still loses his temper easily and needs to be off by himself for a while. But it’s all a part of being in university. He may be older, but there’s nothing wrong with needing to be a baby sometimes. 

 

Especially if he’s got someone like Phil to make him feel alright. 

 

-fin-


End file.
